Amoroso

Manafort fraud trial: minus Mueller’s Russian collusion

If you’re trying to figure out how the upcoming trial in Virginia involving a minor player within the Trump campaign charged with fraud long before he associated with the president gets us to Russian collusion you’re not alone.

The “show-trial” of Paul Manafort, thus far is the culmination of almost 2-years worth of investigations at an estimated cost to the taxpayer between $4 and 5 million dollars, according to Justice Department records.

The charges against Manafort are perhaps justification by the Mueller team that something has been accomplished in their Russian collusion probe, even though the trial has nothing to do with Russians meddling within the 2016 election.

Moreover, the high-stakes drama will in actuality have both Manafort and Mueller on trial in Virginia if Manafort is somehow found “not guilty” of bank and tax fraud — although the charges against him have been well documented.

Mueller’s initial mandate of Russian collusion by the Trump Administration regardless of the outcome is falling apart. In fact, unless there’s an 11th-hour “smoking-gun” the so-called Mueller investigation simply proves that the probe began with fraudulent information gathered by corrupt political operatives looking to destroy the Trump candidacy at all costs. Not to mention, both Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein suffer from massive “conflicts-of-interest.”

The trial, which is scheduled to begin with jury selection Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, will pit Special Counsel Robert Mueller against former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort.

Manafort stands accused of living a lavish lifestyle that includes expensive cars, a 3-million dollar brownstone in Brooklyn and more than 1-million dollars worth of clothing and accessories.

Mueller and his cronies will attempt to extrapolate Manafort’s criminal bank and tax fraud from his luxurious lifestyle and if convicted Manafort could face decades of prison time.

Which once again begs the question, “what about Russian collusion”? The apparent real reason for the Mueller “dog and pony” show, is to “flip” Manafort so that he will testify against President Trump.

Perhaps the best explanation as to why Mueller decided to throw everything at Manafort came from presiding Judge T.S. Ellis III. In May, Judge Ellis harshly criticized the Mueller team in a preliminary hearing suggesting the motive behind pursuing the case against the 69-year-old ex-Trump aid was only a means to get to the president.

Stating to the Mueller team, “You don’t really care about Mr. Manafort, you really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you to lead you to Mr. Trump and an impeachment, or whatever.”

Mueller Prosecutor Greg Andres acknowledged during the preliminary hearing to Judge Ellis, “I don’t anticipate that a government witness will utter the word ‘Russia.'”

However, Ellis ultimately allowed the case to continue, stating that the prosecution of Manafort fell within Mueller’s broad authority to investigate Russian meddling within the 2016 election and beyond.

The trial is expected to last (after jury selection), about 3-weeks, focusing on Manafort’s alleged laundering of funds, and hiding millions of dollars from his lobbyist activities while working in behalf of the Ukrainian government and his alleged ties of deposed pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych.

Yet, whether Manafort is found innocent or guilty of the charges seems a moot point for the Trump team, in that Manafort’s questionable activities were many years before Donald Trump ran for the presidency.

12 Comments

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Hahaha “a minor player”??? Manafort was the Trump campaign CHIEF.
And he was paid $60,000,000-plus by the Russian-comtrolled Ukrainian government. How’s THAT for a good reason to think their was collusion?

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The only way, a government that has ties with the Russians, and pays 60 million dollars a whole 2 years prior to the 2016 election, can be said to be in collusion is if that 60 million can be proven to benefit a canadicay and a campaign that did not even exist at the time the money was paid. This paid money was paid by the Ukraine well before 2016, like try 2013 and 2014. So no that isn’t even close to collusion.

Also, yes Manafort is a small fish. He joined the Trump campaign as convention manager and then campaign chair on March 2016. He left the Trump campaign on August 19th 2016 , right at 6 months with the Trump campaign, so yes in the scheme of things 6 months would not make a Major player, and since he didn’t last long enough to influence anything on Trumps campaign, it would be very very hard to say Manafort had any chance to offer collusion. The thing is collusion has to have a product or result to be collusion that can be prosecuted and 6 months with no affect on the outcome of the campaign makes it almost impossible to offer collusion as a illegal act.

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What I find extremely interesting is that there was hard-core evidence from past administrations of corruptions of many kind, And yet it was all ‘swept under the carpet’ And no one talks about it. Past administration live like kings boasting and gloating about it; We’re not finding any truth to the Russian collusion except that it was created by the “other side”, and nothings being done about it or any legal proceedings or criminal proceedings; For a while there the whole Internet blew up with the immigration and “family separation crisis” Yet they’re supposed rulings on the books that this has been addressed in, not only previous administrations, but there’s rulings on the book on how we handle this situation in regards to children, and yet this current administration is being charged for the whole mess??? This list goes on and I’m sure everybody’s well aware of it. A final note to all of this,, especially to all the critics, the 4 to 5 to what will end up being 6 or 7 million $ being spent on this ridiculous investigation, which is nothing more than an attack, and because no one has enough work to keep them busy – Could’ve been used to take care of the immigrants and their families that everybody was raising the roof about, which truly no one cared about, just something else to use to MAKE NOISE! This is so insulting to American citizens as a whole, not to mention extremely embarrassing in front of the world, and humiliating; our behavior has been beyond ‘acting like children’ … spoiled ones at that. And yet the country faces threats that could seriously affect/harm/disable citizens and no one seems to GIVE A DA__!!!! (pardon me) REVOLTING ( disgusting, should anyone need defining) “We”, continue to pray for this country, but let me say that part of my prayers, are for Almighty God to ultimately expose and judge the corruption we all know exists and has been in existence ….. Whoa be to those found guilty ….. this is a superb time to REPENT and TURN … In His Name

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You said it in a great way!!! Thank you. We need to all be praying that America repents!!! We need to pray for those in authority-that GOD WILL GIVE THEM WISDOM AND STRENGTH TO DO HIS WILL!!! May God Bless You!!!

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He didn’t say America needs to repent. He said the guilty need to repent. They know who they are (politicians, lawyers liberals, conservatives, media cowards who hide behind their credentials to spin half truths into total lies).
A reckoning is coming.

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Started out as a witch hunt and still remains so. When are they going to start going after the people that were actually colluding with Russia, like Hillary Clinton and all the Obama cronies? Someone REALLY needs to put a halt on all this BULL###t and start supporting this President who has already accomplished more in less than a year than the last 5 presidents combined.

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Since Rosenstein attempted to bring the same charges against Manafort 8 years ago but decided to drop the whole thing the defense plans to call Rosenstein to the stand to go line by line why the Government chose to drop the charges and close the investigation! The Judge is correct. It will be interesting to see if the Judge even lets this go to the Jury because he sees through the bull! Can’t wait for Rosenstein to testify!!!

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Where are the dicks that know Hillary is a traitor and do nothing about it. There is so much she has done to hurt the U. S. while Secretary of State, and before and after while destroying evidence that was subpoenaed,
refusing to turn over emails that had not been censored first, paying for the dossier that caused the Muller investigation and not to mention her activities in collusion with Russia, that even if circumstantial would be enough to cause an indictment and trial in anyone else’s case. Excuse me, except for Bill Clinton of course, what was I thinking?? Its time that America and true Americans step up and protest in mass.